Antitampering attachment for valves



May 29, 1945. v QUARFOQT 2,377,036

ANTI-TAMPERING ATTACHMENT FOR VALVES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 24, 1945 ll A m 1 H. B. QUAIRFIOOT ANTI-TAMPERING ATTACHMENT FOR VALVES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 29, 1945.

Filed April 24, 1942;

Patented May 29, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE w ns: ANTITAMPERING ATTACHMENT. Foa

' r I VALVES 7 Harry B. Quarfoot, Chicago, 111., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Reconstruction Finance Corporation,-Chicago, 111., a corporation of'the United States Application April 24', 1943, Serial No. 484,418

16 Claims. (Cl. 70-178) This invention relates to anti-tampering attachmentsfor valves, and has for its general ob,- ject to :provide an anti-tampering attachment which is of simple, inexpensive construction, which may readily be applied to and removed from avalvaand which is thoroughly reliable and efficient in the performance of its purpose of rendering it practically impossible for any unauthorized person to effect, without detection, opening or closing actuation, or loosening of any exposed movable part, of a valve to which it is applied.

With the foregoing general object and various other objects in view, which will become more fully apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in an antitamperingattachment for valves embodying the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and defined in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, "wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in the difierent views:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a valve showing the attachment operatively applied thereto; the attachmentbeing shown in section: r

Figure 2 is a cross section on'the 1ine2-2"of Figure 3 is an end elevation of the-valve and of the anti-tampering attachment operatively applied thereto;

Figure 4 is a top plan plan view, partly-broken away, of the anti-tampering attachment; 1

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view'sho'wing in detailthe hinge means for the cover of the handle enclosing housing of the attachment; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating an alternative form of an element of the attachment. i l I In the drawings there has been illustrated by Way of example a so-called Globe valve to which theanti-ta'mperingattachment is applied, said valve comprising, as usual, a'casi'ng Ill", a bonnet H threaded thereon, a packing nut l2 threaded n the outer end of said bonnet, a valve stem l3 extending through said bonnet and said packing nut and projecting beyond the latter, and a handle M on. said valve stem.

.The anti-tampering device includesa'strong, rectangular baseplate l of sheet metal or other suitable material of a length and width somewhat greater than the diameter of the valve handle M; This base plate is provided, centrally thereof ,with an a erture IE or a size to'accommodate the valve steni lii, and inapplying the anti-tampering deviceto the valve, the valve handle I4 is removed and said base plate isengaged over the valve stem l3 with said stem extending through the aperture iii. The valve handle 44 then is re applied to the valve stem.

- The base plate It: is intended to be f astened rigidly in a position between the valve handle l4 and the packing nut 'I 2, preferably but not necessarily against the outer end of said packing nut.

To this end thereare employed a pair of U-shaped plate fastening rods or yokes IT, I! the bight portions I8 of which are engaged with the valve casing ID in embracing relationship thereto at opposite ends thereof, respectively. The arms 19 of said yokes l lare extended at their 'free ends throughapertures 20in the base plate l5. Beyond the outer face offsaid base plate they have nuts 2i. threaded thereon. The nuts 2| then are tightened 'to draw the base plate firmly and securely against the outer end of the packing nut I2.

The bight portions I8 of the rods or yokes I! are disposed in the usual depressions 22 in the rnairibo'dy of the valve casing l0 adjacent to usual nut formations at the ends of said valve casing. Therefore, when the nuts 2! are tightened to draw the base plate I5 firmly against the packing nut 12, it is impossible to. disengage the rods or yokes H from the valve casing ID or to shift them relative to said casing. In this connection it will be observed that the apertures 20 in the base plate l5, throughwhich the free ends of the yoke arms l9 extend, are so located in said base plate that said arms 19 are required to lie against fiat faces of the usual nut formation 24 at the inner end ofnut formation 24 of the bonnet II to prevent rotation of said bonnet.

Fixed to andextending inwardly from the base plate 15, centrallythereof, is a sleeve 25 which extends over and closely encloses the packing nut l2 when said base plate is fastened in its operative position. Accordingly, any possibility of engaging with the packing nut I2 a, wrench or other implement by which itinight be turned, is effectively preventedby the sleeve 25 as long asthe base plate 15 remains fastened in its operative position. 1 a A cover :26 is provided for cooperation with the base plate I5 to afford ahousing toenclose the'valve handle l4 and the nuts 2 l ,and alpad lock 21 is provided for locking said coverto, said base "plate. Accordingly,- aslong as said cover it manifestly is impossible to open or close the valve or to loosen or otherwise manipulate anyexposed, movable part thereof, such as the bonnet l I or the packing nut l2, as long as the cover 26 remains locked in its closed position relative to the base plate l5. Moreover, should any part of the anti-tampering device be broken or damaged to an extent to permit opening or closing of the valve or loosening or other manipulation of any exposed, movable part thereof such, for example, as the bonnet II. or the nut l2, the extent of the breakage or damage necessarily would be so great as to be readily detectable by mere casual inspection.

The cover 26 may be of any suitable construction and may be permanently hinged to the plate [5 or bodily separable therefrom. Moreover, it may or may not be entirely or in part, transparent to afford a view of the valve handle I4 therethrough. In this connection and as illustrated by way of example in the drawings, said cover may appropriately comprise, primarily, a shortlength, open-ended, hollow section 28 of a suitable transparent plastic or other material, and

a sheet metal strap 29 extending over and closing the outer end of said section and having inturned end portions 30 lying against and riveted or otherwise suitably fastened to opposite side portions thereof. In addition, said cover may include a pin or pins 3| suitably fastened to one of the end portions 30 of the strap 29and having out-turned inner or free ends 32 projecting beyond the inner or free edge of said strap portion 30 to be entered in a hole or holes 33 in the base plate 15. At the free or inner edge of the other end portion 30 of the strap 29 there is provided an apertured projection 34 to register, when the cover is closed, with an apertured lug 35 suitably fixed to the base plate I5.

When a cover, constructed as described, is applied to the base plate I5, the hollow section 28 is disposed in surrounding, enclosing relationship to the valve handle 14 and with its inner end in engagement with the outer face of said. base plate;

the pins 3| are disposed in the holes 33 with their free ends underlyin the base plate and thereby preventing outward movement of the related side portion of the cover relative to said base plate, and the apertured projection 34 is registered with the apertured lug 35 so that the hasp 36 f the lock 21 may be engaged through the apertures thereof. Manifestly, therefore, when the hasp 36 of the lock 21 is engaged through the apertures of the projection 34 and the lug 35, the cover 26 is securely locked to the'base plate l and cooperates therewith to provide a housing enclosing the valve handle l4 and the nuts 2| and preventing any unauthorized access thereto. Moreover, due to the transparency of the hollow section 28, the valve handle l4 constantly is exposed for observation as to whetherit is in valveopen or valve-closed position, which observation may'be facilitated by suitably providing said section with a word or words or other suitable means to indicate the valve-open or valve-closed position of said handle.

In some instances it may be desired that the valve shall be normally closed and in other instances it may be desired that the valve shall be normally open. In thisconnection the invention may include means to prevent operative application of the cover 26 to the base plate [5 unless the valve handle I4 is in it valve-open or valveclosed position, as the case may be, thereby to render the attachment fool-proof insofar as concerns the possibility of the valve being open when it should be closed or closed when it should be open.

If it should be intended that the valve have a normally closed position, as shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, the means referred to may comprise a lug 31 fastened to the hollow section 28 interiorly thereof to overlie and engage an outer face portion of the valve handle I4 when the valve is closed and the cover 26 is operatively applied to the base plate l5. Accordingly, unless the valve handle is in its inner, valve-closed position, engagement of the lug 31 with the valve handle will prevent the housing 26 from being operatively applied to the base plate l5 and closing of the valve will be necessary before said cover may be operatively positioned and locked with respect to said base plate. Alternately, if it should be intended that the valve have a normally open position, a lug 3'! may be fastened to the hollow section 28 interiorly thereof, as indicated in Fig. 6, to underlie and engage an inner face portion of the valve handle I 4 when the valve is open and the cover 26 is operatively applied to the base plate I5. Thus, the valve handle must be in its outer or valve-open position in order to permit operative application of the housing 26 to the base plate 15. The lug 3'! or 31' as the case may be, serves additionally to prevent any opening or closing creeping'movement of the valve due to vibration, or the like.

The invention as illustrated and specifically described is intended for use with a valve of the type specifically illustrated and described. Manifestly, however, certain features of the invention may be used to the exclusion of others thereof. For example, if a valve should not include an element such as the bonnet II, th yoke arms l9 might be disposed in various manners other than as shown as they would not be relied upon to perform the function of preventing rotation of the nut formation 24 of the valve. Likewise, the sleeve 25 might be eliminated if the valve should not include an element such as th packing nut l2. In fact, it is manifest that the attachment might have various structural forms other than that shown without departing from thespirit and purview of the invention. For example, instead of providing the cover 26 with the lu 37, the same purpose might be accomplished by making the cover of sufiiciently shallow depth so that the strap 29 might serve as a stop means requiring the valve handle M to be in its valve-closed position in order to permit operative application of the cover 26 to the base plate 15. From a practical and economical manufacturing standpoint, however, it is preferred to employ covers 26 of practically duplicate construction for use with both normally closed and normally open valves, simply providing the cover with a lug sabotage of fire extinguishing systems. Many such systems have a shut-off valve which is employed to stop the flow of the extinguishing medium to the entire system only when repairs are being made to piping, discharge devices, or the like. Such shut-off valves should normally be gas to effect discharge of the extinguishing medium. If a normally open or normally closed valve in one of these systems, that is constantly subjected to the vapor or gas pressure of or for the extinguisher, is tampered withby the bosom ingot a packing nut, a bonnet, or the like, a slow leak can be created which will bleed off the extinguishing medium, or the expelling gas, at a rate which may escape detection. The system then will, fail when it is called upon to extinguish a fire.

Obviously the present anti-tampering attachment may be structurally varied in many respects within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thu described the invention, "I claim:

1. An anti-tampering attachment for a valve of the type comprising a casing, a bonnet threaded on said casing and having external flat faces, a packing nut threaded on the outer end of said bonnet, a valve stem extending through said bonnet and said packing nut, and a handle on said stem; said attachment comprising an apertured plate to be engaged over the valve stem and positioned between the packing nut and the handle, a pair of U-shaped rods to embrace the casing and to extend through apertures in said plate, nuts to be threaded onsaid rods outwardly of said plate to fasten the latter in its aforesaid position, said rods being ,engageable with the fiat faces of the bonnet to hold the bonnet against rotation, a sleeve fixed to said plate to surround the packing nut and thereby prevent access there to of an implement for turning the same, a housing for cooperation with said plate to enclose the valve handle and the nuts on said rods, and

means for locking said housing to said plate.

2. An anti-tampering attachment for a valve of the type comprising a casing, a stem extending therefrom, a handle on said stem, and a packing nut surrounding said stem; said attachment comprising an apertured plate to be engaged over the valve stem and positioned between the packing nut and the handle, a sleeve fixed to said plate to surround the packing nut and thereby prevent access thereto of an implement for turning the same, rods embracing the valve casing and extending through apertures in said plate, nuts threaded on said rods outwardly of said plate to fasten the latter in its aforesaid position, a housing cooperating with said plate to enclose the valve handle and the nuts on said rods, and means for locking said housing to said plate.

3. An anti-tampering attachment for a valve of the type comprising a casing, a valve stem, and a handle on said valve stem; said attachment comprising an apertured plate to be engaged over the valve stem and positioned inwardly of the valve handle, rods to embrace the valve casing and to extend through apertures in said plate,

nuts to be threaded on said rods outwardly of said plate to fasten the latter in its aforesaid position, a housing for cooperation with said plate to en close the valve handle and said nuts, and means to lock said housing to said plate.

4. An anti-tampering attachment for a valve of the type comprising a casing, a valve stem, and a handle on said valve stem; said attachment comprising an apertured plate to be engaged over the valve stem and positioned inwardly of the valve handle, means for fastening said plate ri idly in said position, a housing for cooperation with said plate to enclose the valve handle and to prevent access to said plate fastening means for the purpose of unfastening the same, means to locksaid housing to said plate, and means carried by said housing for cooperation with the valve handle to prevent valve-opening movement thereof when the housingis locked to said plate.

5.. An anti-tampering attachment for a valve of the type comprising a casing, a valve stem, and a handle 'on said valve stem; said attachment comprising an apertured plate to be engaged over the valve stem and positioned inwardly of the valve handle, means for fastening said plate rigidly in'said position, a housing for cooperation with said plate to enclose the valve handle and to prevent access to said plate fastening means for the purpose of unfastening the same, means to lock said housing to said plate, and means carried by, saidhousing for cooperation with the valve handle toprevent valve-closing movement thereof, when the housing is locked to said plate.

6. An anti-tampering.attachment for a valve of the type comprising a casing, a valve stem, and a handleon said valve stem; said attachment comprising an apertured plate to be engaged over the valve stem and positionedinwardly of the valve handle, means for, fastening said plate rig- 40 idly in said position, a housing for cooperation with said plate to enclose the valve handle and toprevent access to said plate fastening means for the purpose of unfastening the same, means to lock said housing to said plate, and a lug car ried by said housing for cooperation with the valve handle to prevent valve-opening movement thereof when the housing is'locked to said plate.

'7. An anti-tampering attachment for a valve of the type comprising a casing, a valve stem, and a handle on said valvestem; said attachment comprising an apertured plate to be engaged over .the valve stem and positioned inwardly of the valve handle, means for fastening said plate rigidly in said position, a housing for cooperation with said plate to enclose the valve handle and to prevent access to said plate fastening means for the purpose of unfastening the same, means to lock said housing to said plate, and a lug carried by said housing for cooperation with the valve handle to prevent valve-closing movement thereof when the housing is locked to said plate.

8. An anti-tampering attachment for a valve of the type comprising a casing, a bonnet threaded on said casing, a packing nut threaded on said bonnet, a valve stem extending through said bonnet and said packing nut, and a handle on said stem; said attachment comprising an apertured plate to be engaged over the valve stem and positioned between the packing nut and the handle, rod means to embrace the casing and to extend through apertures in said plate and to cooperate with said bonnet to prevent rotation thereof, securing means to be threaded on said rod means outwardly of said plate to fasten the latter in its aforesaid position and also to maintain said rod means positioned to prevent rotation of said bonnet, means carried by said plate to enclose the packing nut and to prevent access thereto of an implement for removing the same, a housing for cooperation with said plate to enclose the valve handle and the securing means on said rod means, and means for locking said housing to'said plate.

9. An anti-tampering attachment for a valve of the type comprising'a casing, a bonnet threaded on said casing; a packing nut threaded on said bonnet, a valve stem extending through said bonnet and said packing nut, and a handle on said stem; said attachment comprising a housing to enclose the valve handle, said housing including a cover to be opened to aiford access to the interior of said housing, 'means to lock said cover closed, means to fasten said housing to the valve casing and to prevent rotation of said bonnet, means to prevent rotation ofsaid packing nut as long as said housing is fastened by said fastening means, and means whereby said fastening means is accessible for housing fastening and unfastening purposes only when said cover is unlocked and opened.

10. An anti-tampering attachment fora valve of the type comprising a casin'g,-a valve stem, and a handleon said valve stem; said attachment comprising a housing to enclose the valve handle, said housing including a cover to be opened to afford access to the interior of said housing, means to lock said cover closed, means within the housing to prevent closing of its cover when the valve handle is not in a predetermined position, means to fasten said housing to the valve casing, and means whereby said fastening means is accessible for housing fastening and unfastening purposes only When said cover is unlocked and opened.

11. An anti-tampering attachment for a valve of the type comprising a casing, a valve stem, a packing nut surrounding said stem, and a handle on said stem; said attachment comprising a hous ing to enclose the valve handle, said housing including a cover to be opened to afford access to the interior of the housing, means to lock said cover closed, means to fasten said housing to the valve casing, means whereby said fastening means is accessible for housing fastening and unfastening purposes only when said cover is unlocked and opened, and means carried by said housing preventing access to said packing nut of an implement for turning the same as long as said housing is fastened by said fastening means.

12. An anti-tampering attachment for a valve, comprising a housing, adapted to enclose a valve handle, including a bottom plate having a valve stem receiving aperture, and a cover consisting of an angular strap hinged at one. end to an edge portion of the plate and a hollow open ended transparent member associated with the strap so as to have one of its ends bridged by the strap and its other end bridged'by said bottom plate when the cover is closed, and means for locking the cover in its closed position.

13. An anti-tampering attachment for a valve, comprising a housing, adapted to enclose a valve handle, including a bottom plate having a valve stem receiving aperture, and a cover consisting of an angular strap hinged at one end to an edge portion of the plate and a hollow open ended transparent member associated with the strap so as to have one of its ends bridged by the strap and its other end bridged by said bottom plate when the cover is closed, means for lockin the cover in its closed position, and a valve stem packing nut encircling sleev secured to and depending from the lower face of the bottom plate.

14. An anti-tampering attachment for a valve, I

comprising a housing, adapted to enclose a valve handle, including a bottom'plate having a valve stem receiving aperture, and a cover consisting of an angular strap hinged at one end to an edge portion of the plate and a hollow open ended transparent member associated with the strap so as to have one of its ends bridged by the strap and its other end bridged by said bottom plate when the cover is closed, means for locking the cover in itsclosed position, and means for detachably connecting the attachment to a valve.

15. An anti-tampering attachment for a valve, comprising a housing, adapted to enclose a valve handle, including a bottom plate having a valve stem receiving aperture, and a cover consisting of an angular strap hinged at one end to an edge portion of the plate and a hollow open ended transparent member associated with the strap so as to have one of its ends bridged by the strap and its other end bridged by said bottom plate when the cover is closed, means for locking the cover in its closed position, a pair of bent rods for detachably connecting the attachment to a valve, and means located within the housing for fastening the rods to said bottom plate.

16. An anti-tampering attachment for a valve comprising a casing, a valve stem, and a handle on said valve stem, said attachment comprising an apertured plate to be engaged over the valve stem and positioned inwardly of the valve handle, means for fastening said plate rigidly in said position, an angular strap hinged at one end to an edge of the plate, means for locking the free end of the strap to the plate, and means positioned inside of the strap and fastened thereto to cooperate with the valve handle to prevent movement of the strap into position to have its free end locked to the plate when the valve handle is not properly positioned with respect to said plate and to prevent movement of the valve handleout of said proper position when the free end of the strap is locked to said plate.

HARRY B. QUARFOOT. 

